John M. Vitek

John M. Vitek (he/him/his), National Speaker

John M. Vitek served as Chief Executive Officer of Lasallian Educational and Research Initiatives (LERI) for twenty-three years and as Interim Director of Springtide Research Institute®, a nonpartisan sociological research center that generates vital insights into the lived experiences of young people (ages 13 to 25) at the intersection of their human and spiritual life, for a short time before his retirement in 2023. John is the author and general editor of numerous books and articles and coauthor of Going, Going, Gone: The Dynamics of Disaffiliation in Young Catholics (Saint Mary’s Press, 2018). He served in church and educational leadership for forty-one years as a parish youth minister and director of religious education, a diocesan director, and diocesan chancellor, in addition to his adjunct work as a professor of religion and director of two graduate programs at Saint Mary’s University. John is enjoying his retirement and can now be found outdoors pursuing his passion of an active lifestyle—cycling, hiking, adventuring in the backcountry, or sitting quietly absorbing the sounds of nature. 

Photo credit Emilie Ng